


The World Between Worlds (a LoK fanfic)

by hanakowilson



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Air Temple Island, One Shot, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Spirit World (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:34:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28571583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanakowilson/pseuds/hanakowilson
Summary: After Korra wakes up from a disturbingly realistic dream, she soon realizes she must journey through an unfamiliar world to find the past avatars. She must reconnect with them, or else her connection to Raava will grow weaker.
Relationships: Aang & Katara (Avatar), Korra/Asami Sato, Senna & Tonraq (Avatar)
Kudos: 31





	The World Between Worlds (a LoK fanfic)

**Author's Note:**

> Note: I’ve used a headcanon that I’ve seen around the fandom lots of times. That one idea is only thing about this story that isn't mine. Everything else (writing, words, etc) is my original work (except for the avatar universe of course. That’s not mine... but u guys knew that.)

_Korra strolled down the leaf-strewn path, her fingers interlocked with Asami’s. The waterbender sighed happily, looking at the swirling portal in the distance. She loved their trip together, but she knew they’d eventually have to return to the human world._

_“I love you so much…” Korra sighed._

_“Then why would you do this to me?” The voice was not Asami’s, nor was the hand that Korra held. She looked down and met the oddly familiar eyes of a young Water Tribe woman. Korra tried to pull her hand away, but the grip tightened._

_“You did this to me. I’m alone.” The girl said, her voice becoming more eerie and distorted._

_“What- Katara?” Korra murmured. The girl was suddenly enveloped in a tornado, but she still clutched onto Korra’s hand. The wind dispersed to reveal a round-faced woman with kind gray eyes. Despite her Air Nomadic features, she was dressed like a Fire National._

_“You had no right to do this to him. His spirit is lost, and there’s no one but yourself to blame.” She said, tears welling in her eyes._

_A tear fell and hit the ground. The woman let out a pained cry as the tear became a flame. She collapsed to her knees and began to weep._

_“My love… My Roku…”_

_As the spark grew into a pillar of fire that instantly decimated the woman, Korra’s eyes darted around, but she couldn't move a muscle._

_Out of the blaze stepped a Fire Nation soldier whose hair was as dark as a starless night. Her bronze eyes were filled with grief. Her face was twisted with rage and pain._

_“You let her fade away into nothingness. You were supposed to right Kuruk’s wrongs. You were supposed to be the Water avatar the world deserves. Instead, you undid everything Kyoshi worked for.” The firebender glared down at Korra and didn’t break her scowl as the ground hardened and crept up Rangi’s legs and body until it covered her completely. As the stone crumbled into dust, Korra regained her ability to move._

_“No! I didn’t- This isn’t my fault!” Korra’s voice trembled, the lump in her throat threatening to send her to tears. She knelt down and put her hands on the ground, desperately trying to grasp the powdered stone. Before she could find any of it, the world around her began to lurch forwards, twisting and collapsing._

_“Wake up.” Korra ordered, clutching her head._

_“WAKE! UP!!” She screamed, and a blinding flash of light covered everything she could see._

Korra’s eyes snapped open and she quickly sat up, her heart hammering against her ribs. As the ringing faded from her ears and her vision cleared, Korra looked up and spotted a very concerned-looking dog resting her head on Korra’s legs.

Korra strained, pushing the polar bear dog’s huge head off of her. Naga’s head slumped off the bed and she whimpered.

“Sorry, girl.” Korra stood up and patted Naga on the head. She rubbed her eyes, trying to chase away the nightmare that played over and over in her head. As she walked out the door, she turned around and motioned for Naga to come.

Downstairs, Tenzin and his family were going about their business. His kids and a few other young airbenders were eating breakfast with Pema while Asami got ready to leave.

As Korra’s eyes fell on Asami, she sighed. Life was so perfect lately, it almost seemed unreal. Kuvira was locked up, she and Asami were finally together, and Zaheer and the poison seemed so far away.

“Hi, guys.” Korra walked in with Naga following closely behind her. Asami turned around at the sound of her voice. They’d known each other for years, but somehow Korra’s heart still melted every time she saw Asami’s face.

“Hey! I was about to go to work.” Asami jogged over to Korra and kissed the top of her head. “I have meetings all day, but we can hang out after.” Asami nodded and headed out the door, waving back at her. Korra smiled for a moment and walked into the kitchen to get breakfast. The nightmare was farther away now, but it still floated around in the back of her mind.

~~~~~~~~~~

The day was short and uneventful. She trained the new airbender children for a bit, and eventually went to sleep with Asami by her side.

~~~~~~~~~~

Korra opened her eyes, but it was still pitch black.

“Where am I?” She called into the dark. She couldn’t feel anything around her.

“You are in between the Spirit World and the material world.” A familiar voice sounded from all directions, but somehow it was just one single voice.

“Raava? Why am I not in the Spirit World?” Korra reached out in front of her, but she still felt nothing.

“The previous avatars are not currently in the Spirit World. They are here. This world between worlds does not follow the rules of either dimension. When your predecessors’ spirits were cut off from you, they were cut off from the Spirit World. They cannot return to the world of the living, so they are here.”

“Why can’t I see anything?” Korra interrupted.

“This world looks different for every person who enters. If one remains here long enough, they will only see one memory from their subconscious. They will be unable to leave on their own because they are unaware it is not real.” Raava explained.

“How am I supposed to find them?! There’s nothing here.” Korra protested.

“You have seen the avatars before you. They once lived inside you. You know their energy. Focus on their spirits and you shall find them.” Raava said, her voice gradually getting quieter.

“I cannot help you. Our connection is weak enough as it is, and I will be unable to hold onto you while you are here.”

“Raava, wait!” Korra reached out into the darkness again, but there was nothing around her.

“I will return to you once you rejoin the material world. Once you complete your mission, our connection will strengthen.”

“RAAVA!!!”

~~~~~~~~~~

Korra blinked and suddenly, she was in the regular world. Well, she thought she was.

She was inside a traditional yet large Southern house. There were many tapestries and paintings and art pieces, all of which were from different nations and regions.

There was a painting of spirits with Air Bisons that used long, swirly brushstrokes. A shining stone sculpture of Tui and La stood in the corner. A stunning flame tapestry with threads of scarlet red, blazing orange, and canary yellow hung above a window. A flawless, smooth stone carving depicted a man and a woman reaching out towards each other; they stood at the middle of an intricate labyrinth.

The next thing she noticed was the couple sitting on a bed, their fingers interlocked. They weren’t quite elderly, but they were past middle age. Despite the woman looking slightly younger than she expected, Korra recognized the couple immediately.

Korra approached the bed and reached out her hand, but she touched nothing. The young avatar heard a noise and turned around to see a tall, strong-looking waterbender rush inside.

“Dad?” Korra said, but there was no answer. She was invisible.

Tonraq spoke. He looked so young.

“Senna, she— the baby’s coming. Now.” His voice sounded so panicked. So unlike her strong, stable father. 

Katara instantly looked to the man beside her.

“Go. I’ll be fine, I promise.” Aang said in a voice that sounded much weaker and older than it should have.

Katara got up and planted a gentle kiss on her husband’s forehead.

“I’ll be right back. I’ll get Kya.” She reassured him.

Aang nodded, leaning against the headboard behind him. With that, Katara rushed out of the room and followed Tonraq.

Then it hit her.

_I’m the reason Korra didn’t get to say goodbye._

Katara had told her once or twice that Aang had passed away while she wasn’t there, but Korra never put two and two together until now.

Aang’s eyes showed that he knew who Katara was going to help deliver. He knew, and he let her go. Soon, his daughter came inside. Korra was taken aback at how young and beautiful Kya was. She had her mother’s complexion, but her father’s kind eyes.

With a soft murmur of reassurance, Kya sat down on the bed next to her father. Aang offered a shaky hand and Kya took it in hers.

All Korra could do was watch as Aang’s eyes fluttered closed. As Kya squinted her eyes shut, blinking away the tears as she felt his heartbeat slow to a stop. As her strong facade melted away as she pulled her father close to her chest, resting her head on his for the last time. As the faint sound of an infant’s cry sounded from afar. As Katara rejoiced with the new parents, not yet knowing what she had traded away.

(Note for above:I didn’t create the headcanon of Katara delivering Korra as a baby, but that’s the only thing that isn’t mine. Everything else (the writing, word choice, etc) is 100% mine. just that one concept/idea isn’t originally mine. I’ve seen that headcanon around a few times and decided to incorporate it.)

A few long minutes later, time seemed to freeze. The curtains stopped flowing in the wind. A tear hovered above the bed. The oblivious sounds of rejoicing stopped. It was silent. Nothing moved.

Aang’s eyes glowed behind closed lids, the light faintly glowing through. Aang got up, but left his body behind. He looked like the cosmic, ethereal form of the avatars she had seen before they were taken from her. This is why she was here. It took Korra a while to recover from the scene and realize she was still in the world between worlds.

“Aang?” Korra reached her hand out to Aang’s, and the air nomad took it. Korra sighed with relief and she felt the peaceful energy creep up her hand and flow throughout her body.

“Raava said I have to get you and the other avatars back to the spirit world.”

Aang didn’t respond for a while.

“Your work is done, Korra.” He said, his calm voice echoing through this illusionary place.

“But I’ve only found you. What about the others?”

“I will find Roku. He shall find Kyoshi. She will find Kuruk. And he, Yangchen.” Aang explained.

“We’ll be back with you soon.” Aang said, closing his eyes. Korra gripped her mentor’s hand tighter as she closed her eyes. Soon, the sad and dark scene was replaced with the bright, pure terrain of the spirit world.

“I will find Roku. We will do the rest.” Aang repeated, putting his hand on Korra’s shoulder.

Just like in her dream, the spirit world began to move. Not in the terrifying, lurching way it did before. It was more of a whirlpool picking her up and dropping her back down into the human world.

~~~~~~~~~~

Korra’s eyes stopped glowing, her bright blues replacing the white. As she looked to the side, her vision was blurred by tears as she saw Aang appear in front of her. A moment later, Roku faded into view. Kyoshi appeared soon after.

The spirits disappeared as she felt a familiar hand on the side of her face, but she knew they were still there.


End file.
